Home Dinners at Molong RSL Ease Cost-of-Living Woes

Now in its third week, the Club’s home dinner initiative offers dinner that serves a family of six for just $35, with the menu changing week to week. 

The Club’s president says that the service has been so popular that up to 50 families in the region are pre-ordering each week for the Wednesday night pick up – and it’s growing. 

“Because of the downturn in hospitality, it's been really good for our Club,” Mary said. 

“It has picked our sales up and if they come and get their meals, they might have to wait five or 10 minutes - they'll have a drink as well while they wait.” 

The service comes as the cost-of-living crisis crunch is felt across the country, with groceries being one of the most expensive parts of a family budget. 

A survey from Monash University reported that 57 per cent of participants said they spent more on groceries than last year, with 58 per cent viewing grocery prices as unfair. 

The Club’s head chef Evan Butcher told Seven News Orange that the service is a win-win for both the Club and the community.  

"We can turn over, with our takeaway, up to 120 covers a night,” Evan said.  

"But it's not really about making money on it, it's about helping out the community – we try to help out where we can.” 

As for the menu, it varies to suit a wide variety of tastes. 

“Last week we had lasagna and the week before we had a beef braised brisket,” Mary said. 

“This week it’s ribs; you get half a rack of pork ribs per serving, they’re slow cooked and they’re gluten free, with honey mustard sauce plus American-style wings as well as garlic bread and corn – next week silverside.” 

The Molong Club hopes that with each week and menu variation, the customer base grows. 

If your club has a service or initiative which is helping with the cost-of-living crunch, please tell us about it at [email protected].